Galvanic anode assembly



April 3, 1956 A. F. CRAVER GALVANIC ANODE ASSEMBLY Filed April 3. 1952 Hi l fie. 3

20 j I INVENTOR.

' 41.5527- F CRA v54 Arron/v5) United States Patent O i a 1 2,740,757 GALVANIC ANODE ASSEMBLY Alhei t E Craver, Bay Village, Ohio, assignor to The Patrol Valve Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Application April 3, 1952, Serial No. 280,293 2 Claims. or 204-197 This invention relates to means for preventing corrosion, and more particularly, to an improved galvanic anode assembly including means for reducing excessiv current new by means of an eletrical resistor and including met-i i fdi preventing leaking of water from a vessel through the assembly after the anode is consumed.

It is common practice today to use anodes, which are gaivaiiic'any active to metallic vessels, for minimizing cori'osidii or such ves's'els 15y water containedtherein. It is also common practice to place the consumable an de in the water and electrically connect the anode to the vessel. the anode is consumed an electric cur'reiitfiows in a manner to protect the ves'el from corrosion and thereby 'adti pp eiabl life to the vessel or tank. It has-b tziblil'id that the rate of current new and thiate consurhtiot'i iii the anode are relatively pre e ionalf 6i total servea sdlids iii the Water: It follows A odes in waters that have a high eeiiteni 2,740,757 iatn'ted Apr. 3, 1956 adaptor assembly mounted in a pipe plug; while at dissolve-a sol dswill cause more current to new thafris iio'tSL In many instances electrical resistorshav been useein reducing and controlling this excessive current flow. Al-

though these resistors are getietally enclosed in special adaptor fittings to protect the resistors from contact with the water there is no protection provided to prevent estape of water from the tank or v'es'sel'through theatla'ptor ass e mbly after the anode has been only consumed.

'Ihe current fiowbetween the vessel and the anode assembly eo'ti'taining a resistor is quite siiiaii and may be or a value of 10 to 100 milliamperes. Thus, in order to obtain the desired corrosion protection benefits from the anode it is essential that there be permanentelectrical connection between all of the current carrying parts and that no resistances be formed in the electrical circuit which will prevent flow of current sufficient for the desired corrosion protection to the tank or vessel.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an improved resistor-anode assembly which will provide permanent electrical contacts between all current carrying parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adaptor assembly which will prevent water leaks through the assembly before and after the anode is consumed.

Other objects are to provide an adaptor assembly which is of inexpensive construction, is positive in action, quickly and easily installed, and may be readily adapted to various anode fittings.

These and other objects will be apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification:

Fig. l is a vertical section through an adaptor assembly;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of an adaptor assembly including a resistor, mounted on an anode;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the adaptor assembly 0 Fig. 2, mounted in a water tank; V

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of another inodified fdilii'of my invention showing the adaptor assembly secured to a combination anode support and water-outlet fitting flitiiij which is mounted in a water tank.

An illustrative embodiment of my invention disclose in the accom anying drawings in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 coinprises an adaptor assembly or anode sup -en 10, prffably formed of brass or some other suitable material, having'a bore 11, and a counter bore 12, at the base thereof; The ada ter support body 10 is provided Willi external llliaflii 13 at oneend, while the opposite end is pioi ided'ivitli'a wall 14 adapted to be tolled inwardly at one eliid forming the counter bore 12 of the adaptor 16. A metal plug' 18 having a drilled hole 19 therein is pressed into the end of bore 11'.

The adapter member 10 is constructed and arranged to be mountedover the end of a sacrificial anode zo formed of magnesium or some other suitable material, havinga ieaiieed'ena pottidii 21, provided with grooves 22, wiiie i one to the flexibility of the bushing i7will firnily glook the reduced end 21 of the anode 20 thereto, The anode20 has a shoulder 20a formed at the top and is provided centrally with a core wire projecting through the upper iid at the some 20, where it is soldered at to a remitna'i 25 or a cartridge resistor 26 having its upper" terminal 27 extending through drilled hole 19 and sdldfed tit-metal plug 18 at as. It has been touiidto be desirable to extend the soldering over the margins of the metal plug 18 to pro vine additional protection against water leaking ilito the interior or an adaptor '10 and to provi e secure fiicliaiifour support for the resistor 26, as shown in the drawings. It has been discovered that for satisfactory anodie proieotior'i of water tanks having relatively highly mineral lied Waters, rSilUr lia'liiflg' aresistanee 6h lli fil'd l" 5f :20 to 30 ohms may be used; Ob" sly the required resistance will Va'i'y according to various taeiors'presen't, as Willbe' ieadily'hnd'ets'toom v The adaptor support assembly 10 having resistor 26 mounted therein, as illustrated'in Fig. 3 may be mounted in a hot water tank 30 having a plug 29 engaging the cooperating threads thereof. For certain installations it may be advantageous to use the form of adaptor 10a illustrated in Fig. 4, where the assembly is an integral part of pipe plug 36.

It may be noted here that the anode support comprises what has been referred to as the adaptor support assem bly or support body 10, which has the threaded engagement connecting it with the wall of the tank and includes the insulating supporting means embracing the end of the anode 20. Thus, these elements may be termed an adaptor supporting means or element.

In assembling the device it has been found expedient to solder the upper end of core Wire 23 to the terminal 25 of resistor 26at point indicated at 24. The anode 20 and resistor 26 are then inserted into bushing 17 into Due to the fact that the bushing 17 and the r larger than the terminal 27 is thereaded thereover and pressed into the upper end of the bore 11 of the adaptor 10. The upper end of the terminal 27 is then soldered to the adaptor and plug 18, and the entire assembly may then be connected to a suitable water tank fitting, the external adaptor threads 13 providing permanent electrical contact therewith.

The soldered connections at 24- and 28 assure permanent electrical contact during the life of the anode. When the anode has been consumed due to the corrosion process, water under pressure will enter cavities 12. and 11. This water cannot however leak through the fitting 10 and 10a, due to the permanent soldered joint at 2% with plug 18 of fitting 10 and 10a. Where the assembly is used as in Fig. 4, a water permanent joint is of major importance since parts of the fitting 10a would be outside the water vessel.

The embodiment of the invention described in Fig. 5 illustrates the use of my invention on a combination outlet fitting and anode constructed in accordance with the teachings of United States Letters Patent No. 2,486,- 936 issued November 1, 1949, which includes an outlet fitting 31 having a thread 32 adapted to be secured in a threaded aperture in a water tank and a socket 33, adapted to receive the outlet pipe of a water distribution system. The fitting 31 has a lateral opening 35 below the thread 32 permitting the flow of water from the tank through the fitting 31. The lower end of the fitting 31 is provided with an inwardly threaded socket 34 receiving the adaptor 10b which corresponds to adaptor 10. The resistor 26 and associated parts shown in the adaptor 10b are similar to the corresponding parts shown in Figs. 1 through 4 and function in a similar manner, as will be readily understood.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that the invention disclosed herein may be variously changed, used or modified without sacrificing the advantages thereof or departing from the spirit thereof, and that the embodiment of my invention disclosed herewith is illustrative only and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. A galvanic anode assembly supporting means adapted to be inserted through the wall of a metal hot water tank of the type including a metal anode projected into the tank, said anode having a ferrous metal core wire extending longitudinally within and along the same, a metal water outlet fitting for supporting the anode and core and electrically connecting it with the tank, the fitting having an axial water passage therethrough, connecting means at the outer end of the fitting for connecting it with piping, external threads around the fitting inwardly of the connecting means for supporting the fitting on the tank and electrically connecting the fitting and the tank, the fitting having a lateral opening inwardly of the external threads, leading from the axial passage through the surface of the fitting, the improvement comprising a metal anode supporting element secured to the inner end of said water outlet fitting and provided with a recess into which the upper end of said anode extends, electric insulation interposed between the supporting element and said anode, a resistor of the cartridge type having longitudinally oppositely extending terminal wires disposed in said recess one of said wires being bonded and electrically connected directly to the adjacent end of said core wire, and the other projecting longitudinally from the cartridge through said anode supporting element and having its end portion electrically bonded to the supporting element, whereby said terminal wires hold the resistor spaced from the inner wall of said recess.

2. An anti-corrosion device for protecting the interior walls of a ferrous metal hot water tank, comprising a metal adaptor supporting element threaded exteriorly for securing it in a threaded opening in the tank wall and having a central bore forming a recess and an end wall element having a relatively small opening therethrough, an elongated metal anode including an electrically conductive and supporting wire core extending therethrough and projecting beyond the surface at one end of the anode, supporting and insulating means interposed between the said adaptor supporting element for retaining said end of the anode in a portion of the bore of the adaptor supporting element, and a cartridge type resistor disposed in said recess having self-supporting terminal wires projecting from its opposite ends, one of said terminal wires being firmly bonded to the projecting end of said core wire and the other of said terminal wires projecting through the small opening in said end wall and being secured therein by electrically conductive bonding material also closing the opening through which the terminal wire projects, and whereby the cartridge is supported by its terminals in spaced relation from the surface of the bore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,459,123 Bates et al. Ian. 11, 1949 2,486,871 Osterheld Nov. 1, 1949 2,486,936 Fergus Nov. 1, 1949 2,656,314 Osterheld Oct. 20, 1953 

1. A GALVANIC ANODE ASSEMBLY SUPPORTING MEANS ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED THROUGH THE WALL OF A METAL HOT WATER TANK OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A METAL ANODE PROJECTED INTO THE TANK, SAID ANODE HAVING A FERROUS METAL CORE WIRE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN AND ALONG THE SAME, A METAL WATER OUTLET FITTING FOR SUPPORTING THE ANODE AND CORE AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING IT WITH THE TANK, THE FITTING HAVING AN AXIAL WATER PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, CONNECTING MEANS AT THE OUTER END OF THE FITTING FOR CONNECTING IT WITH PIPING, EXTERNAL THREADS AROUND THE FITTING INWARDLY OF THE CONNECTING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE FITTING ON THE TANK AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING THE FITTING AND THE TANK, THE FITTING HAVING A LATERAL OPENING INWARDLY OF THE EXTERNAL THREADS, LEADING FROM THE AXIAL PASSAGE THROUGH THE SURFACE OF THE FITTING, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A METAL ANODE SUPPORTING ELEMENT SECURED TO THE INNER END OF SAID WATER OUTLET FITTING AND PROVIDED WITH A RECESS INTO WHICH THE UPPER END OF SAID ANODE EXTENDS, ELECTRIC INSULATION INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE SUPPORTING ELEMENT AND SAID ANODE, A RESISTOR OF THE CARTRIDGE TYPE HAVING LONGITUDINALLY OPPOSITELY EXTENDING TERMINAL WIRES DISPOSED IN SAID RECESS ONE OF SAID WIRES BEING BONDED AND ELECTRICLLY CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO THE ADJACENT END OF SAID CORE WIRE, AND THE OTHER POJECTING LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE CARTRIDE THROUGH SAID ANODE SUPPORTING ELEMENT AND HAVING ITS END PORTION ELECTRICALLY BONDED TO THE SUPPORTING ELEMENT, WHEREBY SAID TERMINAL WIRES HOLD THE RESISTOR SPACED FROM THE INNER WALL OF SAID RECESS. 